The Mainframe
by Walton
Summary: A group of people freed from the Matrix work together as friends and allies to destroy the Mainframe
1. The Mainframe, Chapter 1 The Panther

The Mainframe  
  
The Matrix is a vast program, with a vast mainframe. Only those who can access the mainframe can have total control over the Matrix. But this mainframe can only be accessed from the surface of the Real World.  
  
The mission of the hovercraft, the Panther, was to get to this mainframe and hack in to free the people of the Matrix.   
  
The Panther was a fast and agile craft, with gun turrets and a powerful EMP to rid the area of sentinels and other AI controlled machines.  
  
The crew of the Panther was small, but highly skilled. The captain – Ethereal – was a highly respected captain within the fleets from Zion. He was an adept at kung fu, and could focus very well. His senses bordered on precognition, he could get away from Agents quickly.  
  
The operator, Surrealist, could hack into the Matrix quicker than Morpheus' operator, Link. Surrealist could load up anything quickly and had the fastest fingers at typing – which meant faster programs and loading. Surrealist created his own construct, which is used by many ships to load things into the Matrix quickly through shortcuts and links.  
  
The two that entered the Matrix, along with Ethereal, were Delete and Search.   
  
Delete was a fast driver and very agile. He could take on multiple enemies and drive very quickly and also reliably.  
  
Search was a great marksman and often laid covering fire for the crew. Search operated the gun turrets and has marked up thousands of sentinel kills and has once nearly deleted an Agent.  
  
So this was the small crew that was to try and free everyone from the Matrix and finally end the AI rule over the earth and claim back what was once the animals' and humans' world.   
  
The Panther was nestled in the sewage pipes that lead to Zion, it was about 4 am and most of the crew were asleep apart from Search and Ethereal. Ethereal was checking the maps to see what was the best route to the surface to where the Mainframe was rumoured to be. Search was watching the radar to see if any machines were coming.  
  
The ship was eerily quiet, except for the constant hum of the electricity generator and the hiss from the air conditioning. Search looked around the cabin, the equipment for hacking into the Matrix was all there, the chairs, the computers, everything. The lights were off in the ship to save energy, apart from in the bridge where Search and Ethereal were. Ethereal looked up from his maps.  
  
"Shit! Search! Get to the guns!" He shouted quickly after seeing the radar. He jumped up and hit the alarm button. A wailing noise echoed into the dark regions of the ship and the emergency lights lit up.  
  
Search jumped, "Shit!" he shouted and he ran to the ladder that leads to the gun turrets - one gun turret controlled all that were in range of the target. Search activated the machine guns and the infrared target sights. In the sight five white sentinels clearly could be seen. As they came Search opened fire. Bullets ricocheted around the tunnels and a sentinel dropped to the ground and exploded.  
  
Inside the ship, the crew who had had a rude awakening ran to the bridge. Delete activated the Panther's engines. The hovercraft rose, the purple light from the engines illuminating the tunnel for miles. As Search blasted fire at the sentinels something struck the ship… 


	2. The Mainframe, Chapter 2 The Ass Whuppi...

The Panther was violently thrashed around like prey in a crocodile's mouth. Whatever had stuck the ship had got a hold. The crew, rudely awakened by the alarm and the fierce fighting, had made their way to the bridge. Ethereal was holding onto his captain's chair for dear life as the ship tossed and turned. He tapped on a few buttons near him and a holographic image of the ship appeared. A red wire frame object was drawn in on the hull; whatever had struck the ship had embedded itself deep into the side. The red lines reached up to deck three, straight through the EMP charger. That meant no defence against a massive attack…  
  
"Shit" Ethereal said to himself.  
  
The crew stumbled into their chairs in the bridge. Delete rested his head on the back of his chair, "what the hell is that thing?!" he shouted over the noise of wrenching metal.  
  
"I don't know! But we got to get it off so we can get out of here! Search is holding the Sentinels off! Delete, you go help him!" Delete ran off… more like stumbled off… to the gun turrets to help Search. Ethereal continued, "Surrealist, get word to Zion! Tell them the machines have a new weapon!" Surrealist fell over to his operator chair. "I'm going to see what the hell that thing is!" Ethereal shouted. With that he got up and picked up the ship's ass whupping gun. He slung it over his back and headed down to deck three.  
  
Delete sat in the gunner chair and put on his com device, "Yo, Search! I'm here to give you a little hand!"  
  
"Good. Get the rockets up!"  
  
"You sure? We don't have many!"  
  
"Just do it."  
  
"Okay then…"  
  
Delete smacked the rocket button and immediately his turret whirred into action. The barrels folded down and two larger ones extended.  
  
"Eat this you sentinel shit!"  
  
Delete opened fire, rockets blasting out one after the other, Sentinels dropping like flies.  
  
Surrealist was typing away in his usual speed… very fast. Soon he got a video-link with Zion up. A fuzzy face appeared and distorted words got through.  
  
"What is it? You caught us on the emergency frequency."  
  
"We're under attack, sir!" Surrealist shouted over the noise.  
  
"What the hell is that sound!?"  
  
"We don't know! We got struck by some massive machine! We can't get off this thing and it struck our EMP!"  
  
"What the hell… Okay, we'll see if any other ships are in the area."  
  
"Hurry, sir…"  
  
"Right… yes… okay. The Karma is in the area. We're giving them your position. Prepare for an EMP attack in about five minutes"  
  
"Thank you, sir"  
  
Surrealist ended the transmission and switched to the ship's intercom.  
  
"Expect an EMP attack from the Karma in about five minutes!" His voice boomed over the intercom.  
  
Down on deck three, Ethereal ran along the darkened walkways. Sparks were flying and a strange glow was at the end of the passage. He got the ass whupping gun off his back and armed it. With a high pitched squeal it activated, Ethereal pushed his hair out of his eyes and rounded the corner. He stopped.  
  
Right in front of him was a giant metal object, thrashing wildly. Ethereal's mouth dropped open and he gazed at it. Then, suddenly remembering, he pulled the trigger on his gun, a red beam shot from it and hit the machine. It began to glow red, then progressed into a bright, hot red.  
  
Ethereal backed off… 


	3. The Mainframe, Chapter 3 Footsteps in t...

The loud clang of footsteps echoed through the abyss of the now ruined deck three. Fast breathing rattled the air. Ethereal was running.   
  
With a deafening bang, the machine exploded. Ethereal dived forwards and smashed onto the floor. Flames rushed over him, channelled through the corridors. Ethereal put on his sunglasses to be able to see; he tried to get up, but instead slumped down on the deck. His sunglasses fell off, his eyes closed.  
  
The Karma raced through the tunnels of the Real. Echoes of the battle around the Panther hummed around the bridge of the Karma. The captain frowned as he stared outside. The ship was going at full speed.  
  
As the Karma rounded the corner the purple ambience fell upon the sentinels and the Panther. Gunfire was cracking off the walls and smashing the sentinels. Rockets smashed into explosions as they impacted upon their prey.  
  
The sentinels swarmed around the Panther like flies to a dead carcass… which was what the Panther looked like.  
  
"Holy shit," the captain quietly said.  
  
"EMP ready!" said the operator.  
  
"Fire it now!" shouted the captain, turning on his heel.  
  
There was a low boom, and from the Karma a blue light was emitted, the Sentinels dropped to the ground and lay motionless, the gunfire stopped. Everything was silent.  
  
"Get to the Panther." The captain ordered.  
  
The Karma slowly proceeded to the Panther, and landed next to the stricken ship. The crew left the Karma and headed over to the entrance to the Panther.  
  
Upon entering, on deck one, they saw nothing but darkness, and sparks cascading from the walls.  
  
"What the hell…" said the operator.  
  
The crew silently wandered the dark corridors and finally reached deck five – the bridge. They entered the bridge and were greeted by the crew, all except Ethereal.  
  
"Where's your captain?" said the Karma's captain.  
  
Surrealist headed to the computer and tapped some keys.  
  
"Oh no…" He solemnly said, bowing his head.  
  
"What?" said Search.  
  
"He's… dead."  
  
"No..." Delete whispered.  
  
"Where is he?" said the captain of the Karma.  
  
"Deck three, near the EMP charger… or what was the EMP charger." Surrealist answered.  
  
The Karma's captain signalled for his crew to find Ethereal's body and take him to the Karma's medical section.  
  
"We will keep a watch on him. In the meantime you should get round to fixing your ship" Said the captain of the Karma as he left, as he left he quickly turned around, "Better introduce my crew, I am NdiB, captain of the Karma. My operator – Owario – doesn't really talk much… but he does the job well. I have a small crew back on the Karma, but if you need any of us call for me or Owario."  
  
Surrealist nodded and closed the door, the slam of it closing echoed through the cavernous and dark regions of the Panther, Surrealist sat down against the wall and bowed his head.  
  
Search kneeled down next to Surrealist, "Ethereal was a good captain, I'm sure he won't just die on us now. He's in good hands, NdiB will sort him out," Search helped Surrealist up. Surrealist was clearly shaken by Ethereal being gone, so Search took him for some food and drink.  
  
Many days passed until the repair work on the Panther finished and fully operational, Delete had made a new EMP device by using the Panther's spare microwave oven, and funnily enough it was more powerful than the first.  
  
But Ethereal still looked bad… 


End file.
